The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reported an outbreak of Lassa fever, as the death toll has increased to 40.
According to the report published on Friday, 40 deaths were recorded from week 1 to week 4, 2022, with 19.0% CFR, which is less than the CFR for the same period in 2021 in Nigeria.
As per the data from the reports, six new deaths were reported in the last week of January 2022.
The organization added that 16 local governments in five states reported 229 suspected cases last week, of which only 42 were confirmed. Since the beginning of the year, the total number of infections confirmed to 211 out of 981 suspected cases recorded by 43 municipalities in 14 states.
In the fourth week, the new confirmed cases declined from 74 in the third week of 2022 to 42. These cases were recorded from the Delta states, Ondo, Enugu, Bauchi, and Edo. Overall, 14 states have reported at least one confirmed case around 43 local government areas in 2022.
Among all the confirmed cases, 82% are from Bauchi (25%), Edo (27%), and Ondo (30%) states.
Although no new healthcare worker was founded infected in the fourth week’s report, NCDC has a nationwide Lassa fever multi-partner and multi-sectoral Emergency Coordination Centre (EOC) to operate response activities at all levels.
NCDC also informed that it had forwarded alert letters of Lassa fever to the states to conduct preparedness assessment for the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
According to the organization, the network of the seven Lassa fever molecular laboratories are operating with a total capacity to confirm all samples are tested, and results are given within the shortest period.
It reported confirmed cases are being treated at the recognized treatment centres over the states during risk communications and community engagement activities. These activities have been raised up through television, social media, print, radio, and other methods.
Further, the NCDC claimed that National Rapid Respond Teams (NRRTs) had been placed to the FCT, including Oyo, Edo, Taraba, Nasarawa, Ondo, Ebonyi, Bauchi and the Benue States.
The Lassa virus infects a human body by infected rats and
infected humans by direct contact with the urine and faeces of the rat carrying the virus.
Lassa fever is an acute viral disease caused due to touching dirty objects, eating contaminated food, or touching cuts or wounds.
The secondary transmission from human to human can also happen after exposure to the virus in the infected patient’s blood, faeces, urine, tissues, or other body fluids.
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